2. digital
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help me settle on a source...

hi. i currently have a pair of sennheiser hd650s with the zu mobius cable on the way. amp for the phones will likely be either the gilmore gs-1 or emmeline hr-2. my musical preferences are anything indie, and classic rock/funk/soul/r&b/doo wop/jazz. my max budget right now for a source is $1200 US. this will hopefully cover an upgraded power cable, as well as extra shipping/taxes i'll get hit with since i live in canada.

right now i'm torn between the rega planet 2000, and getting the level 3 modded music hall cd25 from soundodyssey.com. the major upgrades of this player being the trichord research clock 4 and the zap filter. how do you think these two players would compare to one another (ie. are the upgrades for the cd25 worth the extra coin)? do any of you guys have experience with the modded cd25? have you any other suggestions for sources i might want to look at within my price range (keeping in mind i live in canada, my musical tastes, that for now it'll be used exclusively for headphones, and i don't really want to have to wait around for a good deal on a particular player to come around...i'd like to buy my source within the week since my phones will be here any day now). thanks!
droctagon
8 responses Add your response
rgs92
974 posts
 
Correction: I have an Accuphase DP75V, not a DP75.
rgs92
974 posts
 
I have the 650/Zu Mobius phones & really love my
Accuphase DP75 with them--tight, well-integrated bass,
smooth, non-grainy highs, mids with good substance & decent air. I highly recommend it. The setup is extremely non-fatiguing. Everytime I put them on I sit way to long just to listen & soak in the good sound. I use a Headroom max (new version) & Kubala-Sosna Emotion ICs (a major improvement over my previous Cardas GRs & GCs) & TG Audio 688 Power cords. I previously used a Meridian 508 cdp (muddy bass) and a Sony scd77es (mids & highs too pinpointed & a slightly hard sound).
stevenkc
49 posts
 
Almost 2 years ago, I've sold my Rega Planet 2000 (which I liked a lot at the time), added a few hundred dollars and replaced with a Cary 303-100 (sub-$1,000), and never looked back. It simply beat the Rega in all aspects (from transparency, soundstage, dynamics, to low end, etc.) of playback and I would strongly recommend you to go audition it when you have the opportunity.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Choosing a modder is just like choosing a remodel contractor. There are very good ones and not so good ones....
walkman
50 posts
 
Interesting....I've got one of the modded musical halls in which Dr. Octagon is interested. I really like it a lot. Smooth, detailed and very refined. I can only compare it sonically to what I had previously, Myryad MC-100. The differences are dramatic and positve.

It seems one person here had a bad experience with a modded Usher, but I dunno who did the mods. Brice at Sound Odyssey seems to have many satisfied customers, and the cd-25 he does sure sounds darn good on my system, either through headphones (grado 225s, audio-technica a-900s) and my headphone amp (gilmore lite) or through my speakers (vandersteen 1c's) and integrated amp (sim audio i-5).

- walkman
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
In all honesty Jgeyer,yours is the first post I've read slammin' a modded player.--That in no way means I doubt your findings--in the slightest. At least it wasn't a slam on a player that gets lots of praise. Or as the saying goes;if you want to ride the merry-go-round--- you gotta pay, and all that does is take you in circles.
jgeyer
31 posts
 
Hi, I would not bother with a modded player. I had an Usher CD-100(same as Music Hall CD-25) and I think it sounded worse after the mod. The unmodded unit was not that great either. For headphone listening, I'd go for a cd player with a headphone jack and output like a Jolida CD-100 tube unit and save some money. Plus the Jolida is easier to resell than any modded player.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I can't help you but I too have been thinking of picking up one of these modded players--Ya,I'm a "me-2" kinda guy. Just reading the long threads or the adds for the modded players makes it tempting. Then there's the how modded are we talking about.--You know level 1 /2 3/--That Marantz 9500 from Wally sounded good; no wait--and not that much dough.--I hope we get some good input.---(See, there's the me-2,in me)
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